Light to the Dark
by Aquen
Summary: Elliot wanted to see for himself. He wanted to know who this mysterious boy was who had become his adopted brother so suddenly. He wanted to know what he was like...


_Well... after reading chapter 61 I wanted to write something for Elliot and Vincent, it was just so sweet the type of relationship they had and with their personalities being so different... I though it was really interesting how Vincent saw Elliot as a mirror to himself, Vincent is certainly tainted and is using everyone around him for his own ends while Elliot is very pure and honorable and very loyal to the Nightray Dukedom... those two really are opposites (and yes, that little ramble did have something to do with the story!) So anyway, I wanted to write something for Elliot and Vincent about brotherly love and when I looked at the other PH fanfictions and saw that the writings for Vincent inspired by chapter 61 were all yaoi (well... one kind of isn't... but is...) so I wanted to write SOMETHING was focused on Elliot and Vincent's BROTEHRLY LOVE (get that everyone? BROTHERLY LOVE) so... I wrote this little thing…._

_I'm not so sure how well little Elliot and little Vincent are in character. I still imagine Elliot being very brash and argumentative in his younger days, and for some reason as I wrote him he also had a pretty good vocabulary for a little kid... maybe he just reads a lot? He does like books... As for Vincent I decided that since he was still young, not to far from being 'saved' by the Nightray's that he might not have gotten his walls constructed quite yet so he might be a little more open to being himself and speaking truthfully, but I also had him have some barriers as he is Vincent... hope they're not to OOC!_

_**Spoilers:**__** Though inspired by chapter 61 it doesn't have any spoilers, all you need to know is that Vincent was adopted by the Nightrays, I think you find that out in volume 4? Yeah... 4... Spoilers for volume 4... and 3 if you count finding out that Gil is Vincent's brother... I think I just gave away all the spoilers so you might as well just read everything...**_

_**Disclaimer**__**: I do not own Pandora Hearts**_

* * *

><p>Elliot wanted to see for himself.<p>

He glanced down the hallways wary of any passing servants. Elliot knew he should not be there; his brothers had given him very specific orders not to go and his sister warned him numerous times what the consequences would be if he dared go there. Elliot's hand touched the cold metal of the door handle, disobeying his elder brothers and sister.

He wanted to see for himself.

He gripped the handle tighter and lifted the latch. A click echoed through the silent halls, Elliot started at the sudden noise and quickly checked to make sure no one else had heard.

The hall remained silent.

It had almost been a week since the incident, since their father's decision. Surely by now Elliot would have been allowed to come, but it appeared that no one cared.

Why not?  
>Elliot slowly drew the door open, peeking into the room. It was dark, the heavy drapes were pulled over the large windows, no candles were lit and the fireplace did not appear to be used at all. The sliver of light from the hallway speared into the room, directly across the canopy bed; there was no movement from inside the room.<p>

"H-hello!" Elliot demanded, trying to expel all nervousness from his voice. First impressions were important; he would have to make sure to present the Nightray family correctly.

There was no answer, the sheets stirred around the little lump on the bed.

But still no answer. A little anger at being ignored welled up in Elliot.

"Vincent!" He called, remembering the name that his father had spoken.

Vincent, Elliot's new adopted older brother.

Still he was ignored.

Elliot's eye twitched, he ground his teeth and stepped boldly into the room.

"You know it's rude to ignore someone!" He shouted at the boy loudly, completely forgetting to be as quite as possible. "I was trying to be nice to you and welcome you into the Nightray family but yo-"

"They'll hear you."

Though Elliot wanted to get angry at being interrupted he knew that the few words Vincent spoke were true. With an angry growl Elliot stifled his anger and shut the door.

Stomping toward the bed he tried a different approach.

"I'm Elliot Nightray!" He proclaimed in a semi-quite voice. "Your new little brother!"

"I don't have a little brother."  
>Elliot was beginning to get even angrier at the mound of sheets curled before him.<p>

"Are you stupid?" He threw silence to the wind, shouting with all his might at his brother.

Forget good first impressions!

"We adopted you! You should feel honored to be adopted by the Nightray's! If you're going to be adopted by us then you have got to act like a Nightray, you can't be tainting our name!"

"So that's what you think?"

Elliot could stand his new brother no longer. It was hard getting angry at a lump of white. It was much more fun to argue when one could actually see the person they were arguing with. Elliot turned away from what was supposed to be Vincent and stomped over to the windows and with a mighty yank managed to heave the curtains a couple inches apart.

Sunlight streamed into the room, so bright and brilliant, a thin shaft that landed across the bed. Elliot was quite pleased with himself for shedding some light into the dark room.

Vincent was not so pleased.

"Hey!" He cried, Elliot turned around to see Vincent pull the covers up over his eyes and curl away from the brightness. "Close them!"

"No!" Elliot firmed his stance and set his hands on his hips. "No respectable person can have a decent conversation in the dark!"

Vincent remained curled away from the light.

"Tch," Elliot shook his head. "How foolish, being afraid of the light!"

"I'm not afraid!" Vincent shot back, angrily, which shocked Elliot a little since the boy had been keeping a cool tone all the time.

Elliot was pleased he had riled up his brother.

"I'm just… not used to the light." Vincent muttered, trying to regain control over his voice.

"Then you should get used to it!" Elliot stamped his foot then walked swiftly back over to Vincent's bedside. "You'll need to get used to it!"

He stood over Vincent, waiting for him to relent and put the sheet down; Elliot wanted to see what his new brother looked like.

He had heard rumors, rumors that whispered that the boy was scary looking, but Elliot did not believe rumors. He needed to see his brother before jumping to conclusions.

Still… Elliot wondered if the rumors had any basis on truth.

But Vincent kept the sheet up.

"Come on!" Elliot grabbed the sheet and yanked it away from Vincent. "If this is how you are going to act than I don't think I'll like you!"

"I don't much care if you like me."  
>Elliot pulled hard and Vincent relented his grip on the sheet. The white sheet blocked Elliot's vision, slowly floating back down.<p>

"Eh?"

The sheet settled back over Vincent's thin chest, part still held in Elliot's grip.

Vincent stared up at him, eyes narrowed against the sun, but his stare was still cold, agreeing with his words.

Elliot stared, in shock.

A red and yellow eye continued to stare back, disgusted.

"You have two different eye colors!"

Vincent closed his eyes and sighed, rolling over so his back was to Elliot and the sun.

"Thank you for stating what everyone has told me."  
>"Ah!" Elliot rushed to the other side so he could face Vincent. "I was just shocked all right?"<p>

Elliot was not very good at apologizing, and that was as close to apologizing he could get for treading on what might have been a touchy subject for Vincent.

Vincent continued to stare, not seeming to care too much for what Elliot had to say.

Instead of continuing to dwell upon his own mistakes Elliot decided instead to point out Vincent's faults.

"Are you always going to be like this?" Elliot demanded, frowning at his brother, who just frowned back. "So… moody? Did you act like this when my other siblings met you?"

"They didn't."

Elliot blinked. "What?"  
>"They didn't come and meet me." Vincent gave a little smirk, eyes narrowing as he smiled. "Only your father, the doctor and you have met with me."<p>

That deflated Elliot in an instant. No one had greeted Vincent? No wonder the hall seemed so quite, no one came. No wonder Elliot had been banned from seeing Vincent, no one else had gone to see Vincent.

His brothers and sister had talked about Vincent, in mean voices that Elliot had never understood. He wanted to find the reason they talked about Vincent in such spiteful words.

But… they had never even met Vincent.

Vincent continued to smirk at him, as if seeing Elliot's disappointment in his siblings. They had jumped to conclusions before even meeting Vincent.

"Well maybe it's better that they didn't come!" Elliot crossed his arms and gave a nod, not about to apologize for his sibling's behavior. "They'd probably hate you more!"

"So they hate me."

"Ah…" Elliot surely was making a mess of things, though he would never admit that to himself. Vincent lay on the bed, smirk melting into a detached sort of smile.

"Of course," He gave a little chuckle, his eyes getting a little blurry, as if seeing something that wasn't there. "They always do."

"I don't hate you!"

Vincent's eyes immediately refocused on Elliot. Elliot's cheeks burned red, he frowned hard trying to cover the embarrassment of the words he said.

"Really?" Vincent chuckled again. "I find that hard to believe."

"You're pushing it!" Elliot declared and pointed an accusing finger at Vincent. "You're rude, argumentative, gloomy, have no gratitude, I'm pretty sure you're depressed and so far I've been trying to be nice to you and you've just been down right mean!"

"Then you hate me?"

"N-no!" Elliot balled his outstretched hand into a fist and squeezed his hand tightly. "I really dislike you but I don't hate you!"

There was a moment of silence. Realizing how stupid he must look with a fist extended Elliot quickly snatched his hand back and planted his fist on his hip.

Vincent stared.

He was good at staring.

"You're an idiot." Vincent rolled over with a sigh.

"What!" Elliot roared, running back over to the other side of the bed. "How dare you! You-"

"You don't make sense." Vincent muttered, his eyes were closed, his golden hair falling down across his face, the white night gown he wore was a little crooked revealing bandages wrapped around his shoulders. "You don't like me but you don't hate me? I don't get your logic."

Elliot's mouth twisted into a half frown half smirk. "Well, I guess I'll have to explain."

Vincent's eyes opened a little and he gave Elliot a cold glare.

Elliot ignored the pointed look and continued. "You are to be my older brother, you are to be a Nightray, however I will not accept you so easily! You need to prove you can be a Nightray, you need to prove that you are worthy to be one and that you will uphold the Nightray name!"

Vincent continued to give his cold stare.

"Based on your first impression you will be a terrible addition to the Nightray family, however," Elliot held up a finger and wagged it a little in the air. "I will allow you more chances to prove yourself."

"You want me to prove myself to you?"

"Yes!"

"Forget it."

Vincent rolled back around.

"What!" Again Elliot raced to the other side. "Don't you want to be part of the Nightray Dukedom? Don't you want to give any sort of gratitude back to my family for adopting you?"  
>Vincent opened his mouth to speak, and then hesitated. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the soft linens of the canopy.<p>

"Nightray huh?" He seemed to be talking to himself more than to Elliot, Elliot wasn't quite sure whether he should respond or not. "I don't really know," Elliot was sure this was directed more toward him so he perked up to listen. "but… I'm sure it would help."

"Help?"  
>"I'm looking for my brother." Vincent sat up and turned toward Elliot, his eyes firm and eager. "Gilbert, I'm not sure where he is but I'm sure if I stay with the Nightray's I can find him!"<p>

"You're going to use the Nightray Dukedom!" Elliot gasped.

Vincent blinked. "Yes… is that wrong?"

"I-it's not very nice!"

Vincent frowned for a moment, then his frown slowly turned into a smile. "But I will find my older brother."

Elliot frowned and shifted uncomfortably. What Vincent said was true, but still… it felt a little mean, to use his adopted family just for his own gain. But it was to find his brother, surely that wasn't so bad.

"What's your brother like?" Elliot murmured as a way to say that he was all right with Vincent using the Nightray Dukedom, as long as he upheld its name.

"Gil is amazing!" Vincent smiled brightly. "He's very loyal, and he is very dedicated, and he is so nice to me! He loved me even though…" Vincent paused a moment then quickly began again. "And he's very smart, and everyone says that-"

Elliot zoned out, creeped out by how much Vincent loved his brother. Of course Elliot loved his brothers but to go on and on about them like this… it wasn't natural.

He had a weird new brother.

"Let's hope you find him soon," Elliot interrupted Vincent as he was saying something about rose gardens. "I doubt he can live up to all you've said about him."

"He's better!"

"If the Nightray Dukedom searches for this Gilbert will you promise to honor the house?"

"Of course!" Vincent smiled, his voice calm and serene.

"Then," Elliot stuck out his hand, not quite believing what Vincent said. "Shake on it!"

"Shake on it?"

"That you'll remain a faithful and honorable member of the Nightray Dukedom!"

Vincent just stared at the outstretched hand as if unsure what exactly to do.

"And that you'll be a good older brother!"

"Huh?" Vincent's confused looked traveled from Elliot's hand up to his face.

"W-well," Elliot quickly explained. "I want to be able to get along with my brothers! I don't want to be looked down upon just because my brother's are no goods!"

Vincent gave a smirk.

"Shake on it!" Elliot insisted, thrusting his hand closer to Vincent.

"I promise." Vincent said again, in the same serene voice with the same smile. He reached a pale hand up toward Elliot's.

Their finger's barely touched when the door slammed open and Elliot jerked his hand back in fright.

A nurse blinked in astonishment at Elliot and Vincent.

"Young master Elliot!" She gasped. "You're not supposed to be here!" She gave Vincent a fugitive look as if he was some devilish creature. "You're father will not be pleased!"

"I came to see my new brother!" Elliot frowned at the women and took a firm stance before Vincent's bed, facing her. "I need to be a respectable man of the Nightray's!"

Behind him came a little chuckle.

"You are not supposed to be here!" The women hissed, hurrying to Elliot and grabbing his wrist.

"Let go!" Elliot cried, trying to wriggle away, but the women's grip only tightened. "Unhand me this instant! I'll tell father!"

"You're not even supposed to be here!" The women again admonished, pulling Elliot toward the door. "Getting young master Vincent wound up when he should be resting! You're father…"

"I'll deal with me father." Elliot muttered, already wanting to meet with his father and to ask why they were not being friendlier toward their new family member. The nurse just shook her head and tugged him to the door.

Seeing that he was outmatched Elliot turned back to Vincent.

"Remember our promise!" He managed to get out as he was dragged out of the door. As the door closed Vincent remained where he was, his face shadowed by the sliver of light streaming from behind him, he watched Elliot being dragged away, and listened to his shouted reminder.

Vincent just smiled.

* * *

><p><em>This was actually quite fun to write! Vincent is always fun to write though :3 But Elliot was surprisingly fun to write too, this is my first time writing him...<em>

_As far as the name goes... I had trouble naming the story but I finally decided on Light to the Dark because Elliot was the 'light/pure' and he was bringing some of his purity to Vincent the 'dark/tainted'...yeah I had trouble..._

_Anyway, I hope that this wasn't too boring or random or anything, but I really wanted to write something for Vince and Elly so... yay for BROTHERLY LOVE!_


End file.
